What Would It Take...

by BillsFanInFLA on Jan 27, 2012 2:52 PM EST

... for the Bills to land Upshaw and Hightower? I just reviewed the Don Banks mock draft and Hightower was projected to be selected by the Pats at #32. In other mocks I have seen him draft in the late 20's as well.

So here's my plan... after addressing OT and WR via FA, we select Upshaw at #10. Then we package up some picks, and trade back into the late 1st round to grab Hightower!

Does anyone know what it would take (compensation wise) to pull this off)? Our 2nd this year and next? I am not intimately familiar with the point system to gauge if we could do this or not... please advise.

Think about this: Upshaw + Barnett + Sheppard + Hightower. From a weakness to a solid foundation for years to come regardless what the outcome is from the 3-4 vs. 4-3 debate.

Having 3 key defensive contributors from Bama is worth the chance to me. Having that solid core for the near future is very appealing! Plus Bill Belicheat doesn't get his guy either!

Thoughts?

Poll

Is a trade back into the first round worth it?

Yes - I like this plan regardless of the draft picks we give up

42 votes

Yes - but only for a reasonable price

105 votes

No - not worth it at all

50 votes

197 votes | Poll has closed

Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.

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Comments

Hightower

I have seen a lot of love for Hightower on various posts, comments, etc. What exactly do we love about the guy so much that many of these same posts are calling for us to trade picks to move up and get him? I don’t know enough about him or the other prospects to answer my own following question, but is he so special (i.e. no one else like him available) that we are really giving up picks to get an ILB? It seems over the years that has been a position that can be found throughout the draft and it’s almost a waste to give away picks when there isn’t much separating a big ‘name’ player (we’ve all heard of Hightower, he played at ‘bama, etc.) from guys we haven’t heard as much about but who possess the same skills and attributes.

by jmkney on Jan 27, 2012 3:04 PM EST reply actions

that we are really giving up picks to get an ILB? It seems over the years that has been a position that can be found throughout the draft and it’s almost a waste to give away picks

ive seen this sentiment a handful of times on this site, and its completely bogus. an elite inside linebacker changes the complexion of your entire defense.
if ray lewis or brian urlacher or patrick willis were available in the 2012 draft, you can bet theyd be worth a top 10 or 5 draft pick. im not saying hightower is that caliber of player, but i am trying to debunk this “why would an NFL team want to use a first rounder on an inside linebacker” take ive seen here.

Its fun to think quarterback, but i think the odds of nix taking one in the first are close to 0%.

by boomsauce on Jan 27, 2012 7:05 PM EST up reply actions

you are forgetting

That Hightower isn’t just an ILB.

he is 6 foot 4 260.

in his own defense he played all over. OLB, ILB, he even got his hand on the ground as a DE.

He is excellent pass coverage…great at reading offenses…He can pass rush supports the run well.

So i think the reason why some MOCK drafts list him that low. Is because many see him as just an ILB. When indeed he could step in to any Linebacker role while spot duty in probably a 4-3 DE.

by mike$bills on Jan 27, 2012 7:21 PM EST up reply actions

believe me, i have not forgotten.
i think very highly of hightower as a prospect, largely because i think hes got significantly higher pass rushing upside than hes given credit for.

Its fun to think quarterback, but i think the odds of nix taking one in the first are close to 0%.

by boomsauce on Jan 27, 2012 7:25 PM EST up reply actions

There is no question ....LOOK AT USC LINEBACKERS 2009

That Hightower can play every down for you. Upshaw he is really weird size wise being at 6 feet and up to 271 pounds.

Trying to drop down to 265. Not saying he sucks and he is a decent pass rusher…

Similar situation happened here in 2009. If you were to redraft which linebackers you would take let’s just say Clay Matthews was overshadowed. His college stats didn’t stand up against Cushing or Maulauga but now a days he kills them.

Hightower stats wise may not look like he is up to UPSHAWs level but he is.

by mike$bills on Jan 27, 2012 7:26 PM EST up reply actions

So

To end my opinion which is clear. I wouldn’t mind all that i know now. In taking Dont’a Hightower at 10 and calling it a day.

Because in 2009 everyone should have taken Clay Matthews at 10 and instead those packers ended up getting him at 26 and just about everyone is kicking themselves.

Especially us whose pick is now playing for a division rival. You grab the football players and play-makers while you can. Hightower will fill a Linebacker spot no matter the week no matter the defense.

by mike$bills on Jan 27, 2012 7:30 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

WHY!!

why would you want to give up future high round picks in order to pick ANOTHER ILB??? ILB is a position we actually have above average starters at WITH depth behind them. Barnett and Shepphard aren’t going anywhere right now and unless he is capable of playing OLB which i don’t think he is, why would we draft him, let alone trade up to get him?

by bmr3d on Jan 27, 2012 3:50 PM EST reply actions

Quality and Quantity!

Because I want to stack our LB corp with quality impact players.

I tried to find a post from a couple of days ago that hyped up Hightower. I believe the post said that he could play any position (ILB and OLB). If that IS true, then we will have 4 quality LBs that we can use in our various formations, and we would still have Merriman to mentor and sub in for the young kids!

The Bama Boys are taught and mentored, while Merriman is used sparingly, and thus making it through the entire season with a trip to IR-ville!

Why are you such a downer on Hightower?

Until Saban leaves Alabama, I think we need to draft the best Bama defensive player (or 2) every year… Buffalo Tide or Alamaba Bills… take your pick.

by BillsFanInFLA on Jan 27, 2012 4:25 PM EST up reply actions

I'm with u

I like Hightowet, at his size any athleticism he can definitely play OLB in the 3-4…But I’m not comfortable trading picks for him, not unless we strike gold in free agency and could afford to trade picks

by doctork44 on Jan 27, 2012 6:53 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

???
barnett is pretty old. he wont be around for a whole lot longer, and hes an injury risk now as it is.
who is the depth youre talking about? morrison and davis are gone, behind sheppard and barnett there is only chris white and arthur moats.
why dont you think hightower can play on the outside? please be more specific there, i think with his length and short area burst he absolutely has the ability to play on the outside.
teams draft with long term thinking in mind. if hightowers a guy they have ranked as say, the twelfth best player, and he slips into the 20s, it is absolutely a good move to try and go get him because of the career he is capable of having- such a situation should trump short term needs.

Its fun to think quarterback, but i think the odds of nix taking one in the first are close to 0%.

by boomsauce on Jan 27, 2012 7:09 PM EST up reply actions

Never, ever trade up

Trading up is a luxury allowed for teams that think they are one or two specials players away from the Super Bowl. Think back to the 2011 draft.

The Atlanta Falcons thought they were one WR away from playing in the Super Bowl. They ship a bunch of picks and trade up to get Julio Jones. Now Julio had a good season (playing down by the school yard.) He had 900 something yards and 8 TDs. Nice production from a rookie. But did Atlanta reach the Super Bowl? No they lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Baltimore didn’t trade up to get their WR. They waited until the late 2nd round and Torrey Smith (800 something yards and 7 TDs) fell into their laps. (And they lost in the playoffs only one game away from the Superbowl.)

The point I’m getting to is you rarely get the value you think you are getting when you trade up. In addition you now have a guy taken at a higher payroll slot than you would have otherwise. Atlanta and Baltimore both got comparable production from their rookie wideouts and Baltimore didn’t have to give up picks and payroll to get theirs.

It is far better to let players fall into your lap then it is to go up and get them. Perhaps one of the best drafters of all time (Jimmy Johnson) lived by this. And I’m glad that Buddy seems to be following it somewhat too.

by Moose68 on Jan 27, 2012 4:32 PM EST reply actions 2 recs

I'm just happy...

we are almost at a point where we can just draft BPA regardless of position.

by Moose68 on Jan 27, 2012 4:35 PM EST up reply actions

Think back to the 2011 draft.

think back to the 2010 draft, when buddy nix did exactly what ur arguing against here. buddy nix likes draft picks. so do us fans, but ultimately great players win football games, not draft picks.
a blue chip prospect who falls into the bottom of round one is absolutely, 10x more valuable than a pair of red chips you may get in rounds 2 and 3.

Its fun to think quarterback, but i think the odds of nix taking one in the first are close to 0%.

by boomsauce on Jan 27, 2012 7:12 PM EST up reply actions

rec'd

For a building team, like Buffalo, you need to have as many picks as you can. You don’t trade up. If anything, you trade down to get more picks.

by suteck on Jan 27, 2012 9:36 PM EST up reply actions

Rec'd for this.

Now Julio had a good season (playing down by the school yard.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46Cfrl7hMoQ

When the job is finished no one remembers how long it took, just how well it was performed.

by Buffalo for Eternity on Jan 27, 2012 11:42 PM EST up reply actions

No way do I trade up for an ILB

Historically, ILB is right up there with Center and Tight End on the list of positions that teams do not put a luxury on.
As someone on Mocking the Draft noted,

Only once in the last 10 years has more than one ILB been a first round pick, and recently Rey Maualuga, James Laurinaitis, and Brandon Spikes(among others) have all found themselves in the second round.

This year has three top LB prospects: Luke Kuechly, Vontaze Burfict, and Hightower. Kuechly is almost guaranteed to go in round one. I think the next LB to go in round one, if any, would be Burfict, because he is slightly more athletic, and if he has a good offseason, he will go to a team like the Ravens. Otherwise, he’ll be the first ILB in the second round. But Hightower could drop, and once he gets out of the first round he might find himself slipping further and further. Right now I think there’s a 50% chance the Bills could get him in the second round, without trading up.

"Give a monkey a typewriter and infinite time, and he’ll eventually release Maybin." - stetzwebs

by DanRoc on Jan 27, 2012 9:32 PM EST reply actions

really

My sig, says what I think of him. I think he can play OLB, and gives us much needed versatility. If we can get him in the 2nd I would be ecstatic. Then get a LT in the 1st. or Michael Brockers.

With the 10th Pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the Buffalo Bills select Dont'a Hightower LB Alabama.

by tomcs on Jan 27, 2012 9:47 PM EST up reply actions

Melivin Ingram, Courtney Upshaw, and Quinton Coples

The only way I would trade up is if we could get Courtney Upshaw then get Melvin Ingram, get Coples then Upshaw or even Coples then Ingram. Those are the three best pass rushers. I would do a lot to get 2 of those 3.

by clibs1 on Jan 28, 2012 10:36 AM EST reply actions

We will play a 4-3 alligment this year per our DC

So I believe we will be looking for a 4-3 DE or 4-3 OLB

by Winnie33 on Jan 28, 2012 12:55 PM EST reply actions

Now

Did our DC say that on the record or are you assuming that?

Harooo

by Robot Nixon on Jan 28, 2012 5:12 PM EST up reply actions

He said it on NFL Radio.

(copying this from Sergeant Major Thor on another thread. Exact words during an interview with NFL radio)

NFL: "Dave, quick question about the Buffalo Bills. Will you be running a 3-4 or a 4-3 this year in Buffalo?"
ZERO HESITATION!
Stache: "4-3. We have the ideal personnel to run the 4-3."

So yeah, we’re running a 4-3 base.

Buffalo Rumblings
Where shoes are haute cuisine.

by CanadianBillsFan on Jan 28, 2012 5:17 PM EST up reply actions

That settles that.

Good luck blocking Dareus and Williams. Just hope Carrington still has a spot he can be useful.

Harooo

by Robot Nixon on Jan 28, 2012 6:28 PM EST up reply actions

he may have the lateral quickness to play LDE

With the 10th Pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the Buffalo Bills select Dont'a Hightower LB Alabama.

by tomcs on Jan 28, 2012 11:45 PM EST up reply actions

I'd take upshaw in the second

but I don’t know if I would draft both of them as a 1-2 combo. Although they have already worked together and at least their would be competetion. There is alot of talent in the first 2 rds not sure if I wouldn’t look into someone else’s cookie jar to see how things taste.

by billleve on Jan 29, 2012 2:11 AM EST reply actions